


he’s so devoid of color (he don’t know what it means)

by lilywrites



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff, High School, Slow Burn, Smut, bughead - Freeform, choni
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-28
Updated: 2018-03-28
Packaged: 2019-04-14 06:47:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,999
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14130414
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lilywrites/pseuds/lilywrites
Summary: Betty Cooper and Jughead Jones have been enemies since their Freshman year of high school. They are the most popular male and female of their school. In addition, they are also the smartest, most athletic students at Riverdale High. What happens when during their sophomore year, they are forced to get along?was titled: “a competitive love”





	he’s so devoid of color (he don’t know what it means)

**Author's Note:**

> enjoy! lower case is on purpose :)

sophomore year.  
betty knew that her second year of high school would prove to only be a higher level repeat of her freshman year. just another school year to be filled with battling against her enemy; riverdale high's most sought-after popular boy, jughead jones. just the thought of seeing him today, after a blissful time away from the small town due to her summer internship, caused her mind to travel into a state of dread. 

she had almost gotten used to the pleasant break from riverdale, but when the internship ended she was plunged back into reality. the reality of living up to her overprotective mother's expectations, facing her mostly-absent father, keeping in touch with her pregnant sister, rivaling with jughead, while maintaining her thriving social life. 

her tense thoughts were interrupted by a faultless three-tapped knock on her bedroom door. betty's mother, the infamous alice cooper, waltzed into her room, eyeing betty sitting on her bed, writing in her journal, then quickly turned to her closet.

"oh betty." alice sighed, looking back at the frowning girl. alice eyed the deep red color of the floral dress betty was dressed in and squinted. "are you sure you want to wear that skimpy dress? what happened to the sweaters and jeans? you look fine in those." alice declared.  
"i told you mom, i want to improve my image," betty remarked. "i’m pretty sure that everyone at school sees me as the one high schooler still wearing child-like clothes." betty considered, stepping closer to her mom. "i'm turning sixteen this year! i need to start looking older."  
"and feeling older" betty mumbled, unsuspected to her mother.  
"okay fine," alice hesitated. "just for your first day, but tomorrow i should expect that you will be switching back to your other wardrobe." alice said sharply, tilting betty's chin up.

"you know, elizabeth," her mother continued. "teachers cannot take you seriously if you are not dressed like a hard-working, _'cares about learning'_ student." alice remarked with air quotes. betty nodded, half agreeing with her mother, half wanting to rebel. betty chose the latter, ushering her mother out of the room with a quickly-stated, "time to get ready!" betty gently pushed her mom out through her pastel-pink painted bedroom door. after haphazardly closing the door behind her, she flopped back onto her bed, unplugging her phone from the charger on her nightstand. 

**15 new messages** her phone read. betty examined the messages from her inner circle group chat, taking note of the one text from an unknown number. 

5:39 am  
**kevin:** _GOOD MORNING_  
**kevin:** _i need help picking my outfit for today_  
**kevin:** _anyone up?_  
**cheryl:** _ohmygod kevin it is so early go back to bed_  
**kevin:** _go back to bed? this day is the most important of the year_  
**kevin:** _cher, you never get a second chance to make a first impression_  
**cheryl:** _and who exactly are you trying to impress, kev?_  
**kevin:** _you never know, there could be some new hotties to go after_  
**kevin:** _this town is seriously lacking in gays_  
**cheryl:** _tell me about it_  
**cheryl:** _even i am starting to hope that there is a new girl_

6:15 am  
**josie:** _i can't wait to see reggie._  
**josie:** _i bet his football camp did miracles to his bod_  
**kevin:** _i'm with ya there jos, he's gonna be so ripped_

betty giggled. a twinge of envy rose in her heart; her friends were more excited for their first day than she was. betty wished she could be as hopeful for today as her friends. she was looking forward to getting back to her intense routine of studying and socializing, but she was dreading having to see jughead jones. she could not stand that boy and his arrogant attitude. 

6:34 am  
**unknown:** _did weatherbee ask you in advance to be a peer mentor for a new student today?_

betty wracked her brain trying to think of who this unknown texter could be. _they obviously go to riverdale high,_ she thought. she decided to text back the unknown. 

6:35 am  
**betty:** _no... but who is this?_  
**unknown:** _oh betts, i was just wondering if you knew i am going to be the one weatherbee chooses to be the peer mentor_

betty started to put the pieces together. _very cocky? peer mentor? betts?_  
all signs point to jughead.  
gasping with the sudden realization, betty quickly texted back, furious. 

6:37 am  
**betty:** _jughead? HOW did you get my number?_  
**unknown:** _yep that's me. and i bribed kevin. anyway, that's not why i texted you_  
**betty:** _how did you bribe kevin?_  
**jughead:** _i told him that i knew a gay kid from southside high transferring to riverdale_  
**betty:** _i'm gonna kill kevin_  
**betty:** _why did you need to text me? im blocking you now_  
**jughead:** _wait!_  
**jughead:** _i wanted to remind you that i am going to get chosen as the peer mentor today for the new students_  
**betty:** _you wish. weatherbee would choose me over you any day_  
**betty:** _he knows i just came back from a journalism internship_  
**jughead:** _that's cute. i wonder if he knows i just completed a summer course at NYU_  
**betty:** _big deal. anyway, i have more important things to do than texting you, creep_  
**jughead:** _see you at school, betts. may the best be chosen_  
**betty:** _ugh. i'm blocking you now._

betty blocked his phone number in a heartbeat; fingers tapping aggressively at the tiny screen in her hands. interrupting her fury, her mother's voice echoed through the house. "are you ready, elizabeth?"  
"yes mom! i am coming to the car!"  
after scrambling on light makeup, betty grabbed a pair of black casual heels that once belonged to polly, and critiqued her reflection in the mirror. on an instinct, she decided to be brave and plucked a red lipstick out of her makeup bag. after applying a coat of the lipstick, betty took note of the time on her alarm clock.

 **6:55 am**

_perfect,_ betty thought. school started at 7:30, which gave her just enough time to locate her classes, talk with a few teachers, and be a peer mentor; because she knew that weatherbee would pick her instead of jughead. 

grimacing, betty shook the thought of him from her head. betty did a quick double-check of the things in her backpack before sighing in satisfaction. _today was going to be great,_ she thought.

betty headed down the stairs of the cooper's middle class home. walking towards the front door, when betty observed that her father's office shows no traces of him, a twinge of sadness ran through her. she realized that this is the first time her father hasn't taken a 'new school year' photo of her and hugged her goodbye. shaking the disappointing thought from her head, she closed the door behind her and stepped into the cooper station-wagon. 

"seatbelt, betty." her mother instructed. betty let out a sigh, but complied anyway.  
at a stop light, alice leaned over the center console of the car to observe betty's choice of shoes. "oh my lord!" alice gasped when she saw the rich-colored black heels betty was wearing. "what?" betty questioned. "remember, elizabeth, you are only allowed to wear this today. there is no point in going back home to change now." alice warned. betty slumped back into her seat, accepting defeat. 

when they finally pulled up at riverdale high's parking lot, betty waved her mom goodbye and texted the group chat to let them know she arrived at school. walking up the stairs, betty heard a distinctive laugh coming from behind her, and turned to see no one other than jughead jones, and her neighbor archie andrews. 

betty gave jughead a sharp glare, which he returned. betty nodded at archie, acknowledging him. archie was a kind boy that moved into the house next to betty a few years ago. he was friends with jughead, and had his own friend group. betty and archie rarely mingled outside of school.

jughead eyed betty as she walked up the stairs a few steps in front of him. she held her head high confidently, as usual, never faltering, as she has been doing all throughout last year. he was surprised to see her in other clothes, trading her pastel sweaters for something looser and more casual. her legs were more tanned than he remembers when he was track racing against her last year. the dress lifted up her thighs every step she took, making it hard for jughead to remove his eyes from her. diverting his gaze, he asked archie about his summer. 

the sound of students laughing filtered through betty's ears when she stepped through the double doors into the school, jughead trailing a few steps behind.  
"betty!" she heard kevin's voice call. she spotted kevin by the door to the student lounge, talking with a girl betty thinks is named, 'midge'. betty walked over to kevin and gave him a long hug. after releasing from their hug, kevin stepped back, gaping at betty with an awed expression on his face.

"what?" betty asks for the second time today, confused once again.  
kevin shakes his head. "you look incredible. first of all, how are you so tan? second, how did you manage to get out of your house wearing this without alice cooper cutting your head off?" kevin wondered.  
"long story," she scoffs. "more importantly, we need to discuss the way you just gave my phone number to jughead jones!" betty exclaimed.  
"oh, that. he said that he would introduce me to one of the new south side high transfer students coming on friday, in exchange for your number." kevin explained.  
"so you just gave my number to him?" she marveled.  
"you know how there is a deficiency of gays in this town. i will take whatever i can get," kevin answered. "also, i don't understand why you have a problem with jughead having your number. i know that you are enemies, but you should try to have a _healthy_ competitive relationship with jughead." kevin finished.

"what about me?" a voice behind them started. betty slowly turned around, tipping her head back in defeat. she let out a quick groan when she saw him.  
"jughead!" kevin exclaimed happily. "i was just telling betty that you two should try to have a healthy competitive relationship instead of the current, toxic, spite-filled battling relationship you have now." betty shifted uncomfortably against the door, wishing she could be anywhere but here. 

"relationship? healthy?" jughead questioned. "are you still talking about betty and i? we are fine the way we are. it's just a little competition. everyone knows that we are the best of the best. most athletic, most smart, most popular. i think we are just trying to narrow it down." jughead concluded. betty slightly blushed at jughead's use of the word _'we'_.  
"okay." kevin doubted. "just a suggestion." betty stared at jughead in thought, noticing the blue fire in his eyes as he stared back at her. breaking their intense stare, a booming voice known as principal weatherbee's sounded out through the hall.  
"betty. jughead. just the people i was looking for." principal weatherbee acknowledged. betty nodded up at him, flashing her signature bright smile at him.

"i wanted to let you both know, that instead of choosing one person to be a peer mentor, i have decided to choose you both. due to the amount of new students transferring in the upcoming week, we will need more than one peer mentor." weatherbee explained. both betty and jughead stood looking at him, mouths agape, as they processed this shocking information. "is that ok?" weatherbee questioned.  
"yes." they both answered together. "good," weatherbee affirmed. "your first assignment starts now. you will both mentor our newest student, veronica lodge." weatherbee walked off smoothly, leaving jughead, betty, and kevin to themselves. jughead smirked at her when she caught his gaze. 

_this is going to be a long year._ betty thought.

**Author's Note:**

> please comment and let me know if i should write more :) i enjoy reading comments!


End file.
